Resources

Stories from our vault

Histories of Community Empowerment

Long-time members still recall marveling at Second Federal's ornate vaults when they were children.

Since 2004, Self-Help Credit Union and Self-Help Federal Credit Union have merged with over 20 financial institutions. When these credit unions and banks joined us, they brought their own unique histories. Many were started by groups such as farmworkers, employers, blue-collar workers, people of color and people of faith. They served manufacturing and hospital workers, teachers, African Americans, immigrants and others in low-income or rural communities.

Here we are preserving these histories with short documentary videos honoring the legacies we at Self-Help have inherited in recent years. We rely on archival materials and interviews with people who still remember how these institutions started, the struggles their members faced, and successes in helping families build better futures.

Click on the photos below or use the drop-down navigation to check out the legacy stories of the credit unions and banks that have become part of the Self-Help family over the years.

Seaway Bank flourished between 1965 and 2017, rising to become the largest Black-owned bank in America.

DuPont Employees Credit Union

The history of a credit union formed by DuPont employees in Brevard, NC is part of a remarkable legacy of community support and trust.

Scotland Credit Association

The history of a credit union in rural Scotland County, NC that began by serving textile workers and today continues expanding economic opportunities in the wider community.

Second Federal S&L

Since 1882, immigrants in Chicago’s Little Village have relied on Second Federal in good times and in crisis.

St. Luke Credit Union

In 1944, economic empowerment for African Americans in rural North Carolina often meant community self-reliance. In one corner of Bertie County, NC, that self-reliance gave rise to St. Luke Credit Union.

Self-Help's mission is to create and protect ownership and economic opportunity for all. We do this by providing responsible financial services; lending to individuals, small businesses and nonprofits; developing real estate; and promoting fair financial practices across California, Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, and the nation.

Self-Help Federal CU is a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

The Self-Help Federal CU Access Checking Account is certified as Bank On approved.